3.13.2013

Hi! Maura officially turned 2 1/2 this past weekend and so I thought I'd like to do another post on how she's doing...more so for my own sake. Now that we're going to have another baby around here, I realize how much I forget of how to take care of a newborn and what she was doing at various stages, etc. so I think looking back on these kind of posts will be invaluable. Plus this time is so fleeting, I just want to remember it:)

Her mental development amazes me every day! Its not even worth talking about her speech/language skills anymore because she pretty much sounds like a 4 year old:) She knows and can recognize all 26letters of the alphabet, and is almost there with being able to tell which number (from 1 - 10) is which. She recently learned which side of her body is her left and right and can now apply that to making turns in the car and pinpointing the relationship between 2 objects. She also has a really good memory and it doesn't take her long to pick up song lyrics and new facts. We were reading the American Girl catalog we got in the mail for fun the other day, and after only a few times of looking at it she remembered which doll was which and got all of their names right!! (I can't even tell them apart, they all look the same!)

In terms ofother big toddler milestones, she still sleeps in her crib and still wears diapers (she has just recently shown somewhat of an interest in sitting on the potty - but hasn't actually gone yet - and up until that point wanted nothing to do with it). She seems to be content in her crib, but that's only going to last a few more months as we're eventually going to need the crib for the new little guy (don't feel like buying another one).

She's a great sleeper...most nights she sleeps for about 10 hours
straight through. She is still napping (thank you, Lord!) and goes down
in the middle of the afternoon for about 2 hours. I think we have a bit
of a later schedule than most other toddlers, but it seems to just suit
us perfectly. She doesn't get up until like 7:30am most days and I find
myself having to wake her up from her nap around 5pm or else she'll go
to bed later than she already does, which at this point is about 9pm and
she often doesn't fall asleep until close to 10pm.

Her current favorite things to do are play with her train table or doll house, have tea parties, give check ups with her Doc McStuffins Doctor Kit, build with blocks, color and/or paint, do PlayDoh, cook in her play kitchen, sing (into her microphone)/dance/play instruments in a band (we got her a kid's mp3 player for Christmas and we love listening to music).

She's really good at independent play now. She loves pretending with her all Little People, animals, dolls, etc. making up stories for them and having them do different things together, etc.

Since September (when she turned 2), every Monday morning I drop Maura
off at a fun and fitness class at our local My Gym. She's there for 2.5
hours with the staff and other 2 and 3 year olds...playing, having
snack, making arts and crafts, singing, etc. She loves it (after she
adjusted to the whole me-leaving-and-coming-back-to-get-her thing, which
took a couple of weeks) and I, as bad as it sounds, really cherish the
time by myself. It is amazing how many errands and projects you can get
done in 2 hours when you put your mind to it!! One of the best parts
though, is how excited she is when I pick her up..."Mama, you're back! I
missed you!":) We also go to a gymnastics class together every Friday
morning, which she loves....this girl just wants to be moving all the
time!

We still try to get outside almost every day, weather and other activities permitting.

We've gotten pummeled with snow this season (compared to last year), so that's provided for some good times.

A lot has happened in the last six months, but here's a few more random pics:

{riding the train at Edaville Railroad}

{finally doing the "lily pad" stepping stones all by herself (without having to hold my hand) at the playground}

{pumpkin picking}

{having a cupcake at the neighborhood Halloween party...she was an elephant this year}

{dressed up for Thanksgiving}

{Christmas morning}

{trying out Paint-Your-Own-Pottery for the first time}

Words can not express how much your Dada and I love you, Lovie!! (You drive me crazy a lot of times, but I wouldn't have it any other way!!)

PS. Her hair is out of control! It is growing so fast (she got that from me!) and still hasn't gotten it cut yet. She won't let me put it up or back or do anything with it other than put in her hair bow to keep her bangs out of her face. And she doesn't it want it brushed after she takes a bath:( Considering taking her to my hair dresser soon.

PPS. Other moms of toddlers - what are your thoughts on preschool? Are you sending yours/did you? Starting at what age? Because of her birthday, Maura will miss our town's kindergarten cut off date (September 1st) by about a week...which means I'll have her home with me for another year and she won't officially start school until she's pretty much 6. So I'm not feeling too much pressure to get her to preschool when she's just 3 (I know some other moms of her friends have already started visiting and signing their kids up) but I don't want her to miss out either. What are you guys doing/have you done? Thanks!

10 comments:

She is just the cutest! And it sounds like she's going to be such an awesome big sister :) Also, when I have kids I'm coming to you to learn how to get them to sleep for 10 hours a night WITH a nap :) Amazing!

She is a beautiful little girl!! My daughter is a night owl as well. She is usually asleep around 9:30. A few months ago it was as late as 10:30 - 11:00...way too late! She will turn four next week and is starting to give up her afternoon nap. She has always been at home with me, but I am starting to consider a MMO program two mornings a week. I plan to visit a few with her next week and make a decision on where to send her. If there is availability, I may start her in April for two months then again in September. I was hoping to homeschool her, but I really think she needs some interaction with other children her age right now. We are testing the waters really to see what works best for her. Oh, and we do a weekly gymnastics class together once a week!

Ahhhhhhhhhh! I'm the worst blog friend e-v-e-r. This is soooooo late but I wanted to wish you the biggest, bestest congratulations on your news of little brother. I was so giddy when you left me that secret comment that the babers was a boy. Boys are the best! Okay, since I'm writing this on a post about Maura, girls are good too. Hahahahaha. Seriously though, I am SO HAPPY for your little family which is now about to get a wee bit bigger.

You are going to love having a little rough and tumble boy. They are so much fun! Especially the boy hoodies. Adorable. :)

I've missed the last few weeks of your posts so I'm going to snoop around to see if there are any belly pics. Heh heh heh!

Lol, thanks, Sarah! No worries, girl! Yes, so excited we get to experience being parents to both genders. I love hoodies:) And no, you won't find any belly pics! Sorry! (Actually, its a win for you!) Just realized I haven't really taken any this pregnancy. I should probably do that, sigh:)

Every time I read these posts I think how much fun Maura and Sheila would have together. They have a lot of the same games that they enjoy and toys that they play with. I think my SIL did a half day pre-school with my nephew (his birthday is 9/17) and that worked for them. You can ask around in your neighborhood or gym class - maybe some of the other mom's have recommendations on places that they like. Sheila won't let us touch her hair either - just a barrette to keep it back out of her face and that's it. She loves to do my hair but unfortunately I can't brush, ponytail, anything - hopefully soon.

Such a fun post about Maura! She's so cute and wow, such a great talker! She'll be a great big sister! A will be 2 next month and will be starting a 1/2 day nursery school program 2 days a week in the fall (when he's 2.5). He doesn't talk as much as other 2-year-olds do I'm hoping nursery school helps his vocabulary!

Gosh she is just such a doll! Seriously Sarah- she is so so cute! Kylie's hair is so long too- to the middle of her back, but since it's curly it appears much shorter. She sounds like such a smart girl- knowing her alphabet by sight is so impressive! Cameron still struggles with a lot of his letters.In regards to pre-school, Cameron will be starting his first year of pre-K in the fall. He will be 4, going on 5. I like the idea of moms-day-out programs or once a week programs for little ones (like Maura and Kylie's age), but I feel like actual pre-school is a bit much at that age. For me, as a stay at home mom, it's nice to have a break for a few hours (I'm with you there! :) each week, but I'm not looking to send my kids off to school super early. They have many, many years or school ahead of them! We have been going to a Bible study for the past year with an amazing children's program, and that's been so great for both my kids. It's once a week for a few hours, and they each have their own classes. I guess it's just really about finding the perfect balance for your family! :)

About Me

Hi and welcome! I'm Sarah. My husband Paul and I live in a suburb of Boston, less than a mile from the ocean. Stay-at-home Mom of a toddler and an infant, follow along as I figure out how to handle 2 kids! Hang out as we renovate and decorate. Thanks for coming:) Feel free to email me at pewterandsage@yahoo.com